Solar jobs for the future

October 24, 2011 under Articles
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For future jobs in energy, look to the sun.

According to the National Solar Jobs Census 2011, job growth in the solar industry has seen a rise of almost 7 percent in the one-year period ending in Aug. 2011. During the next year, that figure is expected to rise by 24 percent, creating 24,000 new jobs.

Solar jobs are on the rise across the country, but no state comes close to the industry leader:California.

In Aug. 2011, it was estimated that more than 25,000 of the 100,000 solar-related jobs in theUSbelonged to residents ofCalifornia. This is more than four times that ofColorado, which was listed at second for solar jobs in theUSat just over 6,000.

As the undisputed leader of solar energy,Californiahas the potential to make it a focal point of their state’s energy policy. On Oct. 13, General Electric announced plans to build a $300 million solar panel factory inAurora,CA, which would be the largest of its kind in theUS.

Californiarepresents the burgeoning industry at its highest level. Jobs in the state and nationwide in solar energy include those in manufacturing, installation, residential, commercial and large-scale power generation. Jobs in installation alone are expected to increase by more than 13,000 by Aug. 2012.

Californiaisn’t alone in its efforts to make solar power a fundamental part of its energy plan. AlthoughTexascurrently only ranks seventh in the nation in solar energy employment at just over 3,000 jobs, theLoneStarStatealso his big plans for the sun.

Due to its massive size, abundant wide-open spaces, hot temperatures with lots of sunshine, and a fast-growing population in need of a reliable energy source,Texashas the potential to surpassCaliforniaand become the leading generator of solar power in the nation. All of this can happen in the next few years.

This week, the Solar Power International Conference was held at theDallasConvention Center, attracting over 1,200 companies from around the world to exhibit and sell solar products and services, including solar panels.

The cost of solar panels has fallen by 30 percent since the start of 2010 due to an increase in both the size of the industry and competition.  In addition, the Fort Worth-based company Entech Solar is developing new products, such as solar-powered skylights and panels that require less silicon.

Industry leaders everywhere are looking atTexasdue to its potential to become a leader in solar energy. A 30-megawatt solar farm located east ofAustinis on track to be completed by the end of this year, which will nearly double the state’s current solar energy output of 37 megawatts.

CPS Energy ofSan Antonioalso has plans for solar inTexas. They’ve proposed the building of a new facility inTexasthat would be capable of generating 400 megawatts of solar energy, which would dwarf the state’s current production levels.

The sun is a valuable resource and one that should be used to its fullest potential. Not only is it permanently abundant in some areas, but creating solar jobs in theUScan help bring out a professional sector of the society that it currently lacks. It theoretically could turn the tide of the economic collapse if other economies looked to theUSfor guidance on solar expansion.

WORKS CITED:

Baker, Joseph. “The Solar Foundation Says Solar Jobs are the Bright Spot in a Dim Economy” EnergyBoom http://www.energyboom.com/solar/solar-foundation-says-solar-jobs-are-bright-spot-dim-economy-0  Accessed 10/18/11

Lifsher, Marc. “Californiahas 1 in 4 U.S.solar energy jobs, study says” Los Angeles Times http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-solar-jobs-20111017,0,3230671.story  Accessed 10/18/11

Smith, Jack Z. “Texassun may soon heat up solar power” Star-Telegram http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/10/16/3448893/texas-sun-may-soon-heat-up-solar.html  Accessed 10/18/11

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North Dakota oil boom brings jobs boon

October 12, 2011 under Articles
Oil Barrels

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Need a job? Moving to the middle of nowhere may actually be your best bet.

In what is being called the largest oil boom in recent North American history, the oil industry in North Dakotais thriving, creating jobs in all sectors of the workforce in the area surrounding the Bakken formation.

The Bakken formation is a massive oil reserve located mostly within northwestern North Dakota and consists of anywhere from 4 billion to 24 billion barrels of oil. Oil companies recently discovered new techniques to tap into the reserves, and they are in need of laborers to work the rigs.

More than 180 oil companies are operating in the Bakken formation in North Dakota, centered on the cities of Williston andWatford. There are currently 100 drilling rigs in operation in the area, and this number is expected to increase to 150 by the end of the year.

While many areas of the country face high unemployment rates and lasting effects of the recession, North Dakota cannot find enough workers to operate the drilling rigs and accommodate the increased population.

Before the oil boom,Watford City,NDhad a population of 3,000 permanent residents. There are currently 6,500 living in the town, many without homes.

Because of the massive influx of people trying to capitalize on the black gold of the Bakken formation, housing in the area has become scarce. Many workers live out of their vehicles, in tents or makeshift dorm-style units known as “man camps.”

Prior to flocking to the burgeoning area surrounding the North Dakotaoil boom, it’s recommended to line up housing in advance. Although salaries for oil workers range from $70K to $100K per year, and wages in other sectors of the workforce have nearly doubled in the area, many who have relocated to reap the benefits are living in conditions of poverty due to the lack of housing.

Entry-level jobs in Williston, such as those in grocery stores, restaurants and other service-oriented industries pay a minimum of $12 per hour. Truck drivers in the area can make around $70K to $80K per year. On average, workers in North Dakotacan make at least $1,000 more a month than in other parts of the country.

Thousands of Americans have uprooted and relocated to the area surrounding the Bakken formation in hopes of getting back on their feet and paying off debt. Williston’s population grew from 12,000 to 15,000 with the oil boom, and new people arrive every day.

Although the promise of earning a decent living and securing gainful employment is strong, many do not factor in the extreme weather of North Dakota, which ranges from harsh icy winters to blistering hot summers. This especially poses a challenge when so many people are without places to live.

To compensate for the population growth, new businesses have popped up in the area, and they are thriving. Housing projects are in the works to provide the new residents with a much-needed alternative to crashing in their cars or living out of tents.

It’s an ironic situation that one of the most prosperous areas in the nation is in the middle of nowhere of North Dakota, but the jobs are there and business is booming. As history has proven over the years, oil is often found in places where people are not.

 

WORKS CITED:

Ellis, Blake. “Double your salary in the middle of nowhere, North Dakota” CNN Money http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/28/pf/north_dakota_jobs/index.htm  Accessed 10/11/11

“Finding a Job in North Dakota: The Bakken Oil Drilling Boom” http://ghost32.hubpages.com/hub/Finding-A-Job-In-North-Dakota-The-Baken-Oil-Drilling-Boom  Accessed 10/11/11

“North Dakota: Many Jobs, No Housing” Classifieds 100 http://job-library.classifieds1000.com/oil_boom/20100718-19379-North-Dakota-Many-Jobs-No-Housing  Accessed 10/11/11

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Construction Employment at 15-Month High

September 6, 2011 under Articles
Building construction

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There’s good news from the job front, if you are in the construction industry. According to a recent study by the Associated General Contractors of America, construction employment hit a 15-month high for July this year. For those workers hit especially hard by the recession, this is music to their ears.

TheUnited Statesadded 8,000 construction jobs last month, and unemployment rates in the industry fell from 17.3% from a year ago to 13.6%. This does not necessarily mean that anyone who knows how to wear a hard hat and wield a hammer is in the clear.

In comparison to other sectors of the workforce, the construction industry is still lagging. According to a recent article in the LA Times, workers in other trades may be faring much better than construction workers. The retail industry added 26,000 jobs last month, and the manufacturing industry added 24,000 jobs. These numbers dwarf the mere 8,000 jobs added by the construction industry last month.

Even in relation to its own industry, construction still has a long way to come. For the month of July, employment in construction was at 5.5 million, which is 28% lower than its peak level in April 2006. Even though overall construction employment is up, some areas of the industry are struggling while others are booming.

Construction workers in nonresidential building and specialty trade are doing especially well, with 10,200 jobs added in July. This is a strong indicator that factories, power projects and hospitals are being built, whereas the fall of the housing market is still impeding new house construction.

Residential building lost 1,600 jobs in July. It’s no surprise to anyone that the housing market is still struggling, and therefore building new houses is not a top priority. More than 25% of the homes sold last year were foreclosures. Why buy a new house when you can get one from the bank for a fraction of the cost? Unless you are a McMillionaire, this idea makes a lot of sense.

According to a recent survey conducted by Trulia.com and RealtyTrac, the housing market may not fully recover until 2014. As of last December, they had predicted that 2012 would be the year for housing to bounce back. After extensive research done this year, the numbers show that the market is a little more downtrodden than originally presumed.

Of course every silver lining has a touch of grey, to quote the Grateful Dead. You have to take the bad with the good. The construction industry may be doing a little better than last year, but there is a long path toward full economic recovery in all industries. Either way, it’s good for everyone to read the news and see something positive in terms of hiring and the job market.

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Chrysler Employees Caught Drinking & Getting High on the Job

August 29, 2011 under Articles
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In today’s economy you try and hold on to a job, kind of like your suitcase. Even if you may not absolutely love every day of work, it’s okay; most people don’t. But if you make a decent living and can make it through the day without losing your mind, then life is good. There are plenty of people out there who are out of work and would gladly take your job. Shoot, they’re probably even more qualified for it.

With that in perspective, it’s not very smart to jeopardize your employment. With so many people banging at the doors of employers, you like to stay on your boss’s good side. That’s why it’s somewhat baffling that this week, nine union workers employed by the Chrysler Group at the Trenton, Michigan engine plant were suspended for drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana before their shifts and during their lunch breaks. This story first appeared in the Detroit papers last week, and this week USA Today ran a story announcing their suspension by Chrysler Group. But wait, it gets better…

Not only did they get caught boozing and getting high on the job, they were caught on video by the local news station. Tipped off by a couple other workers at the plant who worried that the delinquent behavior was threatening the safety of their workplace, Fox2 News captured the nine UAW workers on tape and showed it to the people in charge at the Trenton plant.

The Trenton engine plant employs 500 United Auto Workers. They manufacture the new Pentastar V6 engines that power a variety of company vehicles. The nine workers in question are awaiting an investigation that will ultimately determine their status of employment.

According to today’s article by USA Today, this is not the first time that Chrysler employees in Michigan have been busted by Fox2 News for getting inebriated on the job. Last fall, two workers were laid off for one month without pay and two others were terminated for the same type of behavior at the Jefferson North Plant in Detroit that manufactures the new Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Sure, everyone has their own vices and no one should judge another person on how they get their jollies. But the workplace is by definition, the place where work is done, and not where one uses recreational drugs for their own personal enjoyment or self-medication. Even if these workers were so far gone that they need to get their fix just to get through the day, there is a certain something called discretion. Didn’t these guys ever go to high school? It’s one thing if the boss smells booze on your breath, and it’s something entirely different when you are caught on video putting ‘em back and toking up.

A job is not something to be taken lightly these days, because you never know when you are going to be put out. There are most definitely nine other UAW workers probably just sitting around at home who will gladly replace these guys and wait until they punch out at the end of the day to catch a buzz.

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Being a Teacher: Is It the Job for You?

August 9, 2011 under Articles
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Choosing the right career can be a tough decision for some people. For those of us not fortunate enough to know that we wanted to be an architect or veterinarian from the age of three years old, we may still be trying to figure out what it is we want to do in this world.

In case you missed out on the lecture, this is how the world functions: You have to work a job, earn money and pay bills. Unless you have rich parents or win the lottery, this is just how it goes. Unfortunately we cannot just sit around or travel the world in search of a good time. There is money to be made and bills to be paid.

In trying to determine the right job, you may have entertained the idea of becoming a teacher. Then you thought about a roomful of screaming children or you watched Dangerous Minds and that fleeting thought was gone as soon as it came.

But for many out there trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives, becoming a teacher might be the right move. You don’t necessarily have to go to college to learn how to be a teacher. Many schools require only a bachelor’s degree in the area of study you plan on teaching. To be a substitute teacher in many states you only need thirty college credits. So you don’t really have to figure out that you want to be a teacher before going to school. This can come later.

Being a teacher can have many benefits. Having summers off is the one that comes to mind for most people. This is a huge attraction for some, and might even be the reason why certain people become teachers in the first place. You also don’t have to work weekends or holidays, and you get winter and spring breaks.

Another big draw of being a teacher is the fact that you are making a difference in your community. You are the molder of young minds, and you provide a valuable service to the public. Someone has to teach those kids out there. Many children may look up to you as a role model, and as long as you are a positive subject and not like Cameron Diaz in Bad Teacher, this can be a good thing.

But like any other job out there, being a teacher can also pose certain challenges. The hours are much more than what they seem. Although students are usually only in class from 8:00am to 3:30pm, this does not mean that your job ends when the school bell rings at the end of the day. Most teachers work on average at least fifty hours per week. Even the kids have to do homework when they are not in class. You have to create lesson plans, attend conferences and offer support for your students at school functions.

Another challenge of the teaching profession is the stress factor. Dealing with a group of twenty or so kids can be emotionally draining and taxing on your patience. If you have kids of your own, you probably know how they can be. Imagine managing a whole roomful!

These are just a few examples of the advantages and disadvantages of being a teacher. Hopefully this shed a little light on the profession. Being a teacher is not for everybody, but for some it is the perfect fit. To quote Jack Black inSchoolofRock, “Those who can’t do teach. And those who can’t teach, teach gym.”

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Craigslist for Jobs

August 5, 2011 under Reviews
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Finding a job these days can be tough. Luckily, we have plenty of online classifieds and job boards to help us out. But with so many to choose from, which one should you use? In trying to determine what site is the best for the job seeker out there, it’s important to take a look at all of them and see what they bring to the table. Today, let’s talk about Craigslist.

Craigslist was started in 1995 in San Francisco by a guy named Craig Newmark. As a newcomer to the city, Newmark started an email distribution to friends in the area. The emails provided details about local events in the Bay Area. The social events were primarily of interest to software and Internet developers, as this was Newmark’s area of expertise.

Newmark expanded his list into a web-based service and branched out into other classifieds categories the following year. By 2000, Newmark’s service had expanded to other cities in theUSand eventually to most countries. By the new millennium, Craigslist was a full-blown online classifieds service featuring the following categories;

  • Jobs
  • Housing
  • Personals
  • ForSale
  • Services
  • Community
  • Gigs
  • Resumes
  • Discussion Forums

Today, Craigslist is a widely used service by people all over the world. In terms of the broad range of features it offers, Craigslist pretty much has it all. If you need to buy a bicycle, sell some furniture, look for a job, adopt a pet, post your resume or find a date, Craigslist is there to help.

But that last topic of interest – finding a date – is where Craigslist got into a little bit of trouble. After much controversy concerning the Adult Section, Craigslist closed this portion of the site down for good last year. It turns out that people were using this section to solicit prostitution – go figure. Although the Adult Section was closed down, many who frequented that category just moved their services over to the Talent section.

Even though you may have to avoid pimps and prostitutes, Craigslist still provides a valuable service, especially to those looking for a job. Jobs on Craigslist are sorted by location and category and feature everything from Accounting positions to Writing jobs. Craigslist also features a Gigs Section that posts part-time or temporary work for those looking to make an extra buck. In addition to finding all the jobs out there, you can also post your resume on Craigslist for employers to check out.

Craigslist can provide a lot of job opportunities, but beware. Scammers are rampant on this site, and you never know if when you show up to a job site you might be thrown into a van or mugged. Like any other listing on the Internet, do your research before agreeing to anything.

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Consider a Niche Job Board over the Monsters

July 22, 2011 under Articles

Niche job boards cater to a smaller sector of the job market than do the big guns, which is why it’s sometimes easier to utilize the services of the small guy. They can be industry specific or even restrict their services to a one geographic location. But since there are tons of great niche job boards to choose from, how do you find the right one for you?

There are a number of websites that take time to list the best niche job boards out there according to their own ranking systems. If you search for top niche job boards in a search engine, you’re bound to find numerous lists to help guide you to the best boards based on your industry preferences.

Another way to determine which sites are most successful is to look at the number of hits they receive. Alexa.com ranks every website based on monthly visitors and popularity. If you’ve run across a few sites you think you might be interested in, you can type the site names into Alexa’s system to find out how they rank among others.

In addition to conducting searches on your own, you could ask members of your professional network what niche job boards they like to use when looking for a job. It’s great to find boards that are all-inclusive, meaning they allow you to look for jobs as well as post your profile so employers can find you.

Also, it’s good if they are user friendly and offer good customer service. Someone in your network is likely to know of one or two boards that meet these standards successfully.

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Summer Jobs

July 11, 2011 under Articles
Summer Shoes

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Contrary to popular belief, summertime can actually be a season of opportunity for job seekers. It’s all about how you look at the big picture.

Most people think that businesses slow down during the summer and therefore do not hire new employees. This is not always the case, and if you can change your perspective on the situation, summer can actually be a good time to get into a new job.

Just because the weather changes does not mean that companies stop hiring. The focus for many during the summer months is not on work but on vacation and relaxation, so people tend to think that businesses kind of fall off track as well. While most job seekers out there are moping around because they believe they are in the middle of the summer doldrums, the ones in the know are scooping up all the good jobs.

Summer is an excellent period for temporary or contract positions. Many workers go on extended vacations or take leaves of absence during the summertime, but the work still needs to be done. This creates jobs for candidates willing to work temporarily.

A temporary position may not sound like a golden opportunity, but it’s a foot in the door. Once you get in somewhere, there is usually room for advancement. You never know when that company is going to be hiring for a permanent position, and it’s always good to promote from within. Before you pass up a temporary position, think about the opportunities that may pop up in the near future.

Because many people like to take time off during the summer, this creates an ideal environment for moving into a new position. There are fewer people around the office, making it easier for you to get to know the other employees and make a name for yourself at your new job. Without as many employees shuffling around the office, it will be a better situation for you to stake your claim.

Summertime is the ideal season for networking as well. Because of the warm weather, long days, and plenty of sunshine, people are out and about more so than the rest of the year. There are plenty of social gatherings and situations in which people are conversing and meeting each other.

To be an effective job seeker, you should look at every get-together or causal chat as an opportunity to network. It’s very easy to work into the conversation that you are looking for a job. It’s natural for people to talk about what they do for a living, and maybe someone you have not met yet knows of an opening.

So, before you give up on your job search this summer, maybe you just need to change the way you are looking at the big picture. Opportunity exists in every situation if you look at it the right way.

 

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Obama’s Plans to Boost US Manufacturing Jobs

July 8, 2011 under Articles
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The economic recovery that should have been occurring during the last two or three years is taking longer than expected. Many people are still unemployed, and of those of us who do have jobs right now, many are suffering from uncertainty.

The answer to our sluggish recuperation from the Great Recession may lie in the manufacturing sector. Last week, President Obama delivered a speech at the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA in which he outlined plans to revitalize the US manufacturing industry and boost job growth.

This initiative, called the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, calls for an investment of $500 million to jumpstart the plan. The Partnership would bring together government agencies, corporations and universities for research and development projects in manufacturing.

Obama believes that if we utilize these different resources and invest in information technology, biotechnology, and nanotechnology, we can enable the creation of solid manufacturing jobs in the US.

By reducing costs, improving quality, and accelerating product development using these various technologies, we can ultimately create a renaissance within the American manufacturing industry.

In addition to revitalizing the industry within the US and creating jobs in our country, these investments will also help us compete with the rest of the world in manufacturing technology. The United States is a nation that was built on inventing and manufacturing, and Obama believes that we can make this happen once again.

Obama said that the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership would not just create jobs for the future, but also for right now. This could be the final measure that takes us out of the last leg of our lethargic economic recovery.

This necessary and immediate call for action could be because Obama is up for re-election in 2012. He realizes that he must make certain moves to once again to gain our country’s love and support. Obama came out swinging in 2008 with big ideas of turning our country around, speaking of change and new hope.

Over the last few years, he lost a lot of that original support when the job market and overall economy never got better. Now is the time to make up for it, and Obama realizes this.

By investing into the technologies that produce revolutionary ideas, new jobs will be created, breakthroughs will be made, and the manufacturing sector will boom once again in the United States.

Then again, it seems like this should have happened three or four years ago, when the economy was really suffering. People are still recovering from massive job losses and the big slump in the manufacturing industry a few years ago. For Obama’s sake, hopefully the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership isn’t too little too late.

 

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Part-Time Jobs: They Can Look Good on a Resume

June 20, 2011 under Articles
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Composing a solid resume is pretty much essential in landing a decent job, unless you have really good connections or the ability to talk your way into anything. For the rest of us out there, we have to rely on the ever-important resume to break the ice for us.

If you are thinking about rewriting your resume, chances are you are either out of work or thinking about switching jobs. In doing so, it’s important to look back at all the jobs you have had and determine which skills might look the most appealing on your resume.

If you haven’t had years of professional experience, this might be a difficult task. These days it’s tough to break into the professional world, especially if you are fresh out of college and have no prior experience. But transferrable skills can come from all types of jobs, no matter if they were just part-time or hourly positions.

If you are having trouble finding a job in the professional world, it might make sense to try and pick up something on the side. Don’t worry about part-time work looking bad on your resume. Studies have shown that companies are more likely to hire people that are already working, rather than those who have been out of work for a long time. And as long as you know how to milk those jobs for attractive skills to throw on your resume, it’s a win-win situation.

One job that many people have had at one time or another but are hesitant to include on their resume is waiting tables. There should be no shame in working as a server. The job itself has many benefits – earning cash tips, flexible scheduling and working with like-minded people.

Working in the service industry also provides many skills for a resume that can easily be overlooked. A customer service background is valuable in any industry, and you can take this one step further and say that you have experience in conflict resolution or problem solving from dealing with the public. Some other positive skills that are gained in the hospitality industry include multi-tasking, working as a team member, keeping track of inventory and staff supervision.

Another job that can easily be picked up freelance and from home is working as a writer. There are many websites that offer minimal pay but lots of experience in composing articles and blogs, and this experience is admirable on pretty much any resume as well. Marketing firms and online publications sometimes don’t have enough money to hire full-time writers, so they hire freelance. A good way to get into this is to simply contact a publication you like and ask them if they are looking for freelancers.

Bank teller is another good hourly job that will prepare you for the real world and better your resume. Once again, this is a job that provides customer service experience. Plus, you can easily work part-time and work your way up to offering loans and opening accounts. Always look to gain more experience and skills in any job; it will benefit you in the future.

These are just a few examples of how you can work past jobs that you might not think are beneficial into your resume. It’s all about how you word things. If you worked at 7-Eleven, instead of saying that you were just a cashier, talk about how you were in charge of inventory, managing cash and credit, trained to deal with robberies, supervision of team members, opening and closing, etc. When rewriting or composing your next resume, remember to look at the glass half full.

 

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